The Mirror of Erised: Forever Desired
by donthugmeimscared
Summary: 'I show not your face, but what your heart truly desires.' After the Battle of Hogwarts, one person goes off to find the Mirror of Erised. There is someone they must see, one last time. Oneshot, story  c  me. HP  c  JKR. R&R, but make sure you enjoy!


_'The Mirror of Erised,'_ Harry had said once_. 'isn't any old mirror.'_

The red haired boy walked down the old corridors of Hogwarts, staring down at his feet. His tall slender frame looked thin and fragile from afar. His eyes were dry now; he had done a fair bit of crying beforehand. No, this time, he would stand without tears. The boy walked on.

_Thank you, Harry._

He looked up at the blank wall in front of him. He breathed a deep sigh, hands shaking slightly in his pockets. I am looking for a Mirror. I am looking for a Mirror. Slowly, but surely, dark swirls formed on the stone wall's face, taking shape of what was the doors to the Room of Requirement. He stepped forward, and went through the entrance.

Mirrors were everywhere. Small, big, broken and round. All kinds from all different eras of time. The boy walked forward without fear. He would find it, he vowed to himself. He would not leave until he stood before it.

The boy wasn't sure what to expect when he did discover it. How could he have missed it? The Mirror stood tall, taller than him, and stretched up towards the ceiling. The boy stepped backwards a little and craned his neck towards the top. He managed to make out the strange words, _'Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi'_. He thought back to what else Harry and even Dumbledore himself had said it meant:

_'I show not your face, but your heart's desire.'_

Harry had seen his family in this Mirror.

Ron had seen himself alone as more successful than any of his brothers had been.

The boy knew Dumbledore had actually seen his family, and not a pair of socks.

What would he see? Secretly, deep down inside him, he already knew the answer. Yet the boy walked towards the Mirror, holding his breath in anticipation. Slowly, next to his reflection, another tall, slender figure faded into view.

'Heya, Georgie.' the figure said.

'Freddie...' The Weasley boy whispered. His heart withered in pain, but also pounded with joy. His twin nodded with a slight grin. It reminded George of how Fred had died with a smile on his face.

'Why are you here, George?' came the question. 'Dumblydore said several men have wasted away before the Mirror. You'd better not be one them, or I'll be very disappointed in you!' a teasing hook tugged at Fred's voice, but a serious tone rested in his words. George reached into his pocket, and pulled out something long and thin. Gazing at the worn wood of his brother's wand, George didn't answer. Fred was right. Why had he come here? There was a sort of need to be here, talking to his brother. To see Fred as Fred, and not like when George looked into a regular mirror and saw his brother's face in his own. George looked up again, still not knowing what to say.

'There's something wrong, isn't there, George?' Fred asked, tilting his head slightly to side.

_Yes. Yes there was._

'What do you think it might be?' Fred placed a hand on the Mirror, the glass wall that separated him from George. Stepping forward, his brother placed his hand where Fred's was, wishing the glass would disappear. So he might be able to touch his brother's hand once again. Fred's wand rested between the glass and George's palm, and it looked as if George might be giving it back to his brother. But the glass refused to fade, and the wand remained untouched by its owner. George hung his head.

'I don't know, Fred. I really don't know.'

Fred gazed sadly at his twin. 'Well, that's not very pleasant.'

George ignored his brother's attempt at light heartedness. 'What should I do, Fred? It feels like the world has been split in two without you here.'

'That's very touching, Georgie. And thanks for keeping my wand, by the way.' Fred sighed and stood straight, withdrawing his hand from the glass. 'Keep living. Keep breathing. Stop looking back and continue moving forward. Don't let anything get in your way. Including my death. 'Cause y'know, I'd never be able to rest in peace if you gave up on life just because I'm not there anymore. And you know me better than anyone else, so you should know that I like my sleep.'

Small chuckles echoed throughout the Room of Requirement. George felt a small flicker of what he had once felt whenever he teamed up with Fred. Together, they both knew, they were unstoppable. Apart? ...George felt his smile fade away.

Fred noticed this, for he said, 'Promise me you'll be all right. Say that you'll keep the shop running, that you'll take care of Mom and Dad. Promise me you'll tell everyone I love them.' His eyes were piercing, silently asking his brother to do this.

George raised his head. He knew Fred was right. He couldn't stop now. '...You got it, Freddie.'

'That's the spirit, George.' Fred said, the small smile on his face again.

'There's one more thing I want to ask.' George whispered, feeling the cold glass beneath his fingertips.

'Say whatever's on your mind.'

'Ever since birth, we've never been divided like this.' George said, looking straight into Fred's eyes. 'How is it that the world continues to spin, life continues to move on, and the sun continues to shine? Why doesn't everything just stop, even for a second, when someone dies? When pain is in the air like Percy's nose, and the tears just keep flowing? Is everyone really so blunt and ignorant?'

Fred grinned a little at the 'Percy's nose' comment. But then, he reached out to match George's hand with his own once again.

Finally, Fred said, 'I don't know, George. I really don't know.'


End file.
